The present invention relates to a coin bank. More particularly, the present invention relates to a coin back which separates, sorts and stores five different denominations of coins.
Coin sorting devices are generally known. A user places one or more coins in a hopper or similar coin receiving location. A coin separating mechanism separates the coins and dispenses the coins, typically one at a time, from the hopper into a coin sorting mechanism. The coin sorting mechanism classifies the coins by their diameter. Coins of a particular diameter, and consequently of a particular denomination, are directed into the appropriate one of a plurality of sorted coin storage containers. Such coin storage containers are typically cylindrical or tubular in shape and are generally of a size corresponding to standard coin rolling wrappers that hold anywhere from twenty to fifty coins. The containers are accessible in order that the sorted coins can be removed.
Coin separating mechanisms employing rotating coin separator plates are known. One such separator plate is in the form of a disk having four U-shaped notches formed in its periphery. Each notch is sized to be larger in width than the largest coin which is to be sorted by a coin sorter. The separator plate is mounted on a planar base of the receiver, the base being fixed to an upper housing at a slope of approximately 45° from the horizontal. Coins tend to come to rest in the lowermost portion of the receiver with their faces contacting the separator plate or the base. When the separator plate is rotated, it will engage a coin with the edge of one of its notches and carry the coin upward to an opening formed in the base where the coin will fall through into an upper portion of a coin ramp leading to a sorting ramp. The ramp has apertures of increasing size through which the coins fall into sorted coin containers.
However, this known coin separating mechanism is not capable of sorting coins of five different denominations. Moreover, the known mechanism does not employ a removable drawer in which the coin containers are held in order to allow an easy removal of the coin containers from the housing of the coin bank. The known coin sorting devices also fail to retard the coins from assuming an orientation other than normal to a respective longitudinal axis of each coin tube. Another deficiency with known coin sorting devices is their inability to prevent an overflow of the sorted coin containers. Known devices continue to sort and deliver coins to the sorted coin containers even though the sorted coin containers are full. Such additional coins spill over, resulting in many instances in a mess.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a new and improved coin bank capable of sorting coins of five different denominations which would overcome the foregoing deficiencies and others, as well as providing better and more advantageous overall results.